Zendaya is reportedly at the center of intense backlash as her new film The Drama leaves audience divided.
Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, the film stars Zendaya alongside Robert Pattinson. The storyline features a twist involving a past school shooting plan, which has sparked intense debate in the United States.
Among the most vocal critics is Tom Mauser, whose son was killed in the Columbine High School massacre. He condemned the premise as “awful.”
According to Radar Online, sources close to the production have revealed, “Zendaya is reeling in shock at the intensity of the reaction to the movie’s themes, and feels the conversation has spiraled beyond what the film actually depicts.”
Another insider went on to add, “The intent was never to glamorize violence but to provoke uncomfortable discussion about accountability and consequence.”
It is pertinent to mention that Zendaya has also addressed the film’s tone, describing it as a mix of romance and drama designed to spark discussion.
An industry source told the outlet, “The backlash reflects a wider discomfort with how Hollywood handles trauma, and why stories like this can feel too close to reality for many viewers right now, especially in America, where these events remain painfully frequent and unresolved today.”
They added, “But there’s also a feeling this has been taken out of context – the film isn’t celebrating anything, it’s interrogating it.”
Furthermore, they revealed that Zendaya understand the reason people are “upset,” yet she believes “audiences need to see the full picture before judging.”
“The conversation itself shows why storytelling like this matters – even when it makes people deeply, deeply uncomfortable about confronting brutal realities,” the source noted.
